Kingdom
by NyanWolf
Summary: After a disturbing accusation, Danny becomes the number one suspect in a series of bizarre events. Especially when Peter sees something he shouldn't have. But is it really just a clever attempt at framing? Or if it isn't, what is Danny hiding?
1. Chapter 1

**Oh my goodness I am so happy to finally be back with a new story! I've had this in my mind now for months but I couldn't get the right beginning. I literally wrote about fifteen different drafts.**

 **And I've finally found one that I'm happy with! Yay!**

 **So just to be clear, this story will focus on Iron Fist, with an alternation of POVS between him and Peter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Since when are we the firefighters around here?" Nova joked, flying above the other heroes.

"Shut up Nova," White Tiger sighed. She turned to look up at Peter, who was swinging up ahead. "How much longer?"

"We should be almost there!" Peter glanced at his communicator, which had an address displayed. He bit his lip under his mask.

Just five minutes before, Fury had called them with a house fire mission. It was odd for Fury, and Peter wondered just what they were getting into.

But saving people was what they did best, and a fire definitely wasn't something to be overlooked. They rounded a corner and were hit by waves of screaming.

"Nova! Fly ahead and report back!" Peter yelled, snapping into 'leader' mode.

"On it!" Nova zoomed past, heading towards the screams. Peter spotted a few people running around, shrieking into their cellphones.

 _Yep. Must be close._

His thought was reinforced by Nova, who was already back.

"It's just around that building, and it's huge," He said, hovering in front of Peter.

"Is anyone else there? Police? Firefighters?"

"Not yet, but I saw some heading over. They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Okay then le-" Peter paused as their target came into view. It was a small apartment building, tucked into a back street. Red and yellow flames danced in its windows and balconies. Several very distressed people were outside, most of them wearing their pajamas.

They looked fairly unhurt, but Peter felt his heart quicken anyway. He dropped down onto the pavement, running into the crowd.

"Hey! HEY! Is anyone still in there!" He roared. His team rushed past, crashing into the building.

The people were all too panicked to even realize that Spiderman was standing in front of them.

"HEY LISTEN! Is anyone in there?"

An old couple broke through the crowd.

"Our neighbors, we don't see them! They have a kid!" The woman cried.

"Third floor, 7b!" Her husband added.

"Thank you," Peter leaped into the air. He smoothened his body into a line, crashing through a third floor window. The heat was immediate. Broken ceiling and rubble fell down everywhere.

He searched the apartment. Empty. Coughing and choking, Peter barreled out into the hallway with a flutter of dread.

Good, the room he'd searched was 6b. Wrong room.

But there was no time for relief! He stormed into the next apartment, 7b.

Flames licked the fabric of his costume. He slapped them away, holding his breath.

"Hey, if anyone is in here you need to get out. Say something!" Peter called.

"Spiderman?" Someone asked. Peter rushed forwards to find Iron Fist frantically throwing aside debris.

"Fist?"

"Help me," Iron Fist said, "There's someone here!"

With a start, Peter began clearing away the fallen timbers.

"Hey are you okay?" He asked. "There's a lot of smoke in here."

"Of course Spider, I'm fine. I know how to hold my breath."

Peter nodded, surprised at how well the zen hero was faring without anything to cover his nose and mouth.

They kept digging until a face appeared. Then a body.

It was a boy, maybe ten or eleven years old. His eyes were closed tightly.

 _No..._

"Iron Fist take him outside. I'll search the rest of the floor and meet you there," Peter ordered. Iron Fist nodded, grabbing the boy and running out.

Peter kept looking until he was woozy and weak. But the floor was clear.

"Yo Webs!" Nova came into view, hovering outside a window, "Come on out. We cleared the building."

"Good," Peter mumbled, pushing himself out of the opening and allowing Nova to catch him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Peter said as they touched down. Police cars and fire trucks were parked around the perimeter, and the sounds of an approaching ambulance were ringing out over the chaos.

Peter looked to see his teammates standing around covered in soot and ash. Iron Fist was sitting on the floor, moving his glowing hand along the kid's body.

"How is he?" Peter asked.

"He is alive. But just barely."

"Hey," White Tiger put her hand on Peter's shoulder, "Did you two find the boy's parents?"

"No, it was just him," Peter said. They both stared at the kid. He looked Asian, maybe Chinese, with short black bangs that stopped just before his eyebrows.

"He'll be fine," Tiger assured, "The ambulance is almost here."

Kids and adults everywhere were storming the police officers, asking questions and yelling incoherent thoughts.

"How did this happen?" A distraught teenage girl yelled.

"Well Miss, it looks so far like an electrical fire," An officer said stoically.

Peter's head snapped up. Electrical fire?

 _I wonder..._

As if summoned by his thoughts, a voice manifested through the flames.

"Hello citizens! Miss me?" Electro shot from the burning building, grinning ear to ear.

"Not him again," Powerman groaned.

"Yeah, I'm really getting tired of this guy!" Nova added.

"What do you want Electro?" Peter snarled.

"Me? Oh, I just want to have a little fun!" Electro dived down, aiming a punch at Peter.

 _Spidey sen_ — _too late!_

The punch connected, sending Peter flying through the air. Powerman and Iron Fist traded places, leaving Powerman to guard the kid while Fist fought.

People were running everywhere, and the police began firing.

"Hey! Stop that or you're gonna get us all killed!" Tiger growled at them. She and Peter dived into the fray. Peter knew they needed to overwhelm the villain, and he fired shock webs over and over while Tiger activated her shocking claws.

Iron Fist's hands glowed bright yellow.

"Kii-yah!" He yelled, smashing his fist into Electro. It was surprisingly effective, and the villain flew backwards.

Peter kicked off of the ground, flipping in the air and tossing a web net over him. He fired it up, shocking the villain until his blue form was unstable.

But at the last second he broke free, lurching towards Iron Fist and Powerman.

"Look out!" Peter called, but it was redundant. Iron Fist seemed to posses a similar ability to Peter's Spidey Sense, and turned around just in time.

He lit his fists, but it was off somehow. Peter stared as the teen delivered the final blow to Electro.

 _Wait a second, was Iron Fist's Chi always that color?_

Peter blinked, now knowing what was off. One of Iron Fist's hands was glowing a bright red while the other was the usual yellow. But it was over as soon as it began, and Electro was finally down.

Everyone caught their breath, checking themselves for any injuries.

"Hey, guys!" Powerman called. "Come here!"

Peter and the others walked over to sit around Powerman and the kid, who was sitting up with wide eyes.

"He woke up during the fight but he won't say anything," Powerman explained.

"Well the ambulance is here, maybe they c—" Nova was cut off when the kid began screaming.

"What's happening?!" Peter cried.

"I don't know!" Powerman yelled, covering his ears. The kid raised his hand, trembling. He was pointing.

Pointing at Iron Fist.

"Y-you!" The kid finally whispered.

"You're the devil king."

* * *

 **Okay that's a wrap! Tell me what you think in the reviews!**

 **Wolf Out...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so in a few days I'm going to go on vacation, so I'm not sure how much I can update. It depends on the internet availability. But anyway, just wanted to let you guys know. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Reviews:**

 **roxygoth: Thanks! Glad you're hooked!**

 **TheImmortalWeapon: Thank you, I'm happy to be back. I like your theories, and I'm excited to have you reading this! Enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **SilverShadowstorm: Glad you liked my little cliffhanger, thanks for reviewing!**

 **TheRandGirl: I'm happy you're liking it! Suspense is my favorite thing ever!**

 **TabbyCat: Thank you! No promises on the innocence, I guess you'll have to wait and see. ;)**

* * *

 _"We understand this mission will be very difficult for you both. It is much to ask of children, but there are no other options."_

 _"We will do it."_

 _"Very good. Of course, during your time there, you will not be able to communicate with the monastery."_

 _"We know."_

 _"Alright then. Daniel, Ada, we will expect your return in one year."_

* * *

Everyone stared at Iron Fist, then back at the kid. Then back at Fist.

Over and over as if watching a tennis match. Peter was the first one to speak.

"Iron Fist do you...do you know this kid?"

"I don't think so," Iron Fist said through clenched teeth, staring at the kid with an almost scary intensity.

"Devil King...Devil King..." The boy repeated. His face paled, and he was still shaking. Nova balled his hands into fists. He launched himself at the boy, grabbing him by the collar.

"Hey!" He growled, "What are you talking about?"

"Nova stop!" The others jumped up.

"What's your name?" Nova asked loudly.

"Nova get off of him!" Iron Fist yelled suddenly. Everyone froze. Peter looked on as Nova slowly backed down.

 _What's going on?!_

Before Peter could say anything though, the sound of jet engines filled the air. A SHEILD craft was hovering above the now-extinguished building. Ropes tumbled down, followed by agents and medics.

Nick Fury was the last one down.

"This is new," Peter muttered. Fury would never come all the way down just for a fire. And especially not after they'd already handled it without any collateral damage. But then, Peter thought, Electro _had_ been involved. So maybe it was th-

"Well done team," Fury interrupted his thoughts. Peter stood up. He wasn't sure what to say. He glanced at Iron Fist, who was still sitting down, staring at the floor. A bad feeling swirled in Peter's stomach.

"H-hey Fury," He greeted awkwardly, but the man ignored him.

"I see you found the boy," Fury said. He turned to the medics behind him, and gestured at the kid. "Bring him to the sick bay."

Peter's eyes widened.

"Wait Fury! Who is he?" Peter cried.

"I'll brief you all later."

"Hold on, what about his parents?" Powerman asked.

Fury didn't answer. He just kept walking while the medics strapped the boy to a gurney.

"Come on," Peter called to his team. Together they walked back towards the lowering SHIELD craft. The air was tense. Peter kept glancing at Iron Fist. He wondered what that kid could have meant. But Danny didn't seem to be in a hurry to answer any questions, and Peter didn't want to pry.

Of course, Peter knew that his friend was going to be the new king of Kun'Lun, and Danny had told him that many citizens were apprehensive of an outsider on the throne. So maybe the kid was just that: the son of some overly traditional subject.

But wouldn't that mean the kid was from Kun'Lun?

 _Ugh, this is way too confusing._

He dropped to the back of the group, sidling up next to Iron Fist.

"So..." Peter started.

"I told you Spiderman, I do not know who the boy is."

"I know, I was just...uh..." Peter floundered around for a few seconds, "What do you think he meant?"

Iron Fist shrugged, "I don't know."

"Yeah but-"

"Peter I don't know," Iron Fist muttered. He quickened his pace. Peter watched him board the craft. There was something about the fear in the boy's voice. It made Peter wary.

 _This is stupid. Danny's one of your best friends._

And yet he couldn't help being a little bit suspicious.

* * *

When they finally made it up to the Tricarrier, Danny was the first to head to his room. The others kept trying to ask him questions, but he avoided them all. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Devil King.

The words replayed in his mind. It had been so long since he had heard that phrase. And during the fight...his Chi...

It had burned red. Like his hand was on fire and it had actually hurt. And again, that hadn't happened in years.

Danny sighed, locking the door of his room. He didn't know what that kid knew. But if he began talking then things could get very bad. He dropped to the floor, hoping to meditate.

But for once he couldn't get his mind to clear. That boy. Who was he? His face was faintly familiar, but he had no idea who he was. Danny bit his lip, focusing. He knew the kid had to be from Kun'Lun. He could sense it.

But other than that...

 _Remember! You need to remember!_

Nothing. It was as hopeless as trying to remember a fading dream.

Devil King.

What did he know?! How could he know that phrase?

Devil King.

Danny gasped as a sharp pain shot up his hands. He looked down to see his Chi, red and uncontrolled, rising from his fists. It was beautiful, and the pain felt good. The color of fire.

Of blood.

Devil King.

"No..." Danny whispered to himself, standing up. "Not here..."

He rushed to his dresser, frantically throwing open the bottom drawer. His hands were clumsy and slow as he pulled out a small jar. Inside was a thick, black cream, churning in the container. Danny poured it onto his hands, rubbing it up his arms and fingers and wrists.

It was cold, soothing the Chi energy until it subsided.

He breathed, slumping down against his bed. There was only one thing that could make his Chi burn like that.

They had found him.

And they were close.

* * *

 **There it is guys! Suspense everywhere! Yay! Thanks for reading, please review! I'm gonna go watch some reruns of Victorious! XD**

 **Wolf Out...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Halloooo! I am so happy you guys seem to actually like this story! Sorry for the late update, but like I said, I was on holiday and there was no internet. Anyway, enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 **angelcarstairs4679: Oh hi! I'm so honored that my story was your first usm fic! Danny is my absolute favorite and I'm glad you like him!**

 **TheRandGirl: Aw don't worry, you get a bit more information this chapter. But the real pieces begin to fit together at around the fifth chapter. ;) Enjoy!**

 **TabbyCat: Ha, aww! I'm sure Danny appreciates his tea and blanket, and hugs. Thanks for reviewing! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Masked Revenge: I am so sorry, but I've had zero internet for the whole month of August. But hey, I'm finally back and I'll be doing regular uploads!**

* * *

 _"What is this supposed to be Danny?"_

 _"The Order calls it elixir, it is supposed to enhance one's power."_

 _"We don't have to really drink it do we?"_

 _"They will know if it is not used, but that does not mean we both have to do it. I can drink both."_

 _"I thought that was dangerous…"_

 _"Yeah. It is."_

* * *

Peter walked into the med bay. Danny was in his room and the others had gone off to relax and talk things over. They all seemed to want to ignore everything that had happened.

But Peter was different. His mind wouldn't let him rest until he found out everything there was to know about Danny and that creepy kid. So now he slunk through the med bay, hoping to find the boy and get some answers.

Doctors and nurses gave him odd looks, some even trying to shoo him out. But Peter didn't care. He tore away every curtain and opened every door. Eventually he ran into Doctor Connors.

"Hey Spiderman, shouldn't you be with the others?"

"Doc! You haven't seen a little boy anywhere in here have you? Black hair? Pale?"

"Sorry, I barely even got to see him before they took him away. Only a few doctors are allowed to even know where he is. Fury's orders."

Peter's eyes widened. What did Fury want with this kid? Peter thanked Connors, then stalked out of the bay. He headed towards Fury's office.

 _I can't believe this!_

Peter wondered if the boy even had parents, and if so, did Fury just kidnap him? Or were the parents part of this? Peter sighed, massaging his temples. He was nearly there when something ran past him, nearly tripping him.

 _Whoa…_

Peter whirled around to see the kid sprinting down the corridor. He bared his wrists, firing twin webs at the boy's back and catapulting him backwards.

He caught the struggling kid in his arms.

"Hey," Peter yelled, "Hey it's me! I helped save you remember? Hey, look at me!"

The boy stopped moving, staring up at Peter. He was much cleaner than before, and dressed in a SHIELD hospital gown.

"I can't stay here," The boy whispered.

Peter nodded, humoring him. "What is your name?"

"Kaleb Johnson…that's my American name…"

"Okay Kaleb, why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Peter asked gently.

"I-"

Before he could answer, a group of frantic medics came crashing into the corridor. They spotted Kaleb immediately, whisking him away in a flurry of arms. Peter tried to keep his hold on the boy.

"Guys aren't you being a little rough?" He grunted, "He's just a kid!"

"Sorry Spiderman," A doctor crowed, then they left as quickly as they had come, taking Kaleb with them.

"Wait!" Peter called to an empty hallway. He clenched his jaw, frustrated. He threw his hands up with a low sigh. Then, because the universe is prone to adding insult to injury, the lights began to flash bright red.

 _Ugh, what now!?_

Peter debated on whether to go find his team, or continue on his quest to interrogate Fury. But the obnoxious alarm buzzer wasn't making it easy to think. Peter groaned to himself, then took off back towards where the team was.

 _This better be important._

When he finally found them they were all in costume again. Peter noticed Iron Fist fidgeting with his hands at the back of the group, almost like he was in pain.

But there were other things to focus on.

"What's the emergency?" Peter asked.

"The alarm got triggered by some kind of shockwave residue," Tiger answered.

"So there was an explosion?"

"Yup, we're being sent to check it out," Powerman said. He opened up a hatch in the floor and began setting up the ropes.

The air that rushed in from the opening was clear, and perfectly breathable. Peter found this odd, considering there should be smoke or at least some ash.

But no one else mentioned it, so he stayed quiet.

"Hey I'll meet you guys down there," Peter said. He didn't wait for an answer, diving down into the sky. Up ahead of him he could see the outline of ruined buildings and streets. His heart sank.

Peter swung himself down below the skyline, then began making his way towards the damage. Even as he got closer he still couldn't see any smoke or anything in the air. But what he saw next made him miss his next web, and he went crashing to the ground.

* * *

Danny followed the others down the ropes. It was taking nearly all of his focus to keep his Chi from flaring red. So far, his friends hadn't mentioned the incident with the boy. In fact, they hadn't really said anything to him at all.

But soon they would. He knew they would.

And having his hands on fire probably wouldn't help his case.

"I think I see where the explosion happened!" White Tiger yelled. Danny didn't bother looking. He didn't think it was an explosion, the air was too clear for that, but something else entirely.

Maybe magic related.

Normally he might've pointed this out to the group, but he didn't want to call any more attention to himself. So he slid down to the ground in silence, then followed his friends as they ran. Nova was already flying ahead.

Danny bit his lip as the stinging in his hands began to swell as they neared the blast area.

 _So then it is of magical origin…I hope it's not them…._

"Yo Web-He…." Nova trailed off, frozen in midair. Danny and the others finally caught up to see that both Nova and Spiderman, who was perched on the side of a nearby building, were staring stoically at the rubble before them.

Danny followed their gaze. Lines of burn damage zigzagged through the city in seemingly unconnected patterns. Some buildings in the center were perfectly fine, while others had strips of land and metal completely gone.

It looked as if some giant mole had dug its tunnels here, bulldozing straight through the roads and houses. And each line of destruction was burned a dull red, identical to the one that was trying so hard to erupt from Danny's skin.

He made a small sound in the back of his throat, clutching desperately at his hands.

"Sweet Christmas," Luke muttered, partially removing his sunglasses.

"That's not even the worst part," Spiderman called down. "Nova, take a picture!"

"G-got it," Nova stuttered. He flew up higher and took out his phone, snapping a picture of the rubble from above.

Danny felt lightheaded as Nova flew back down and scrolled through his camera roll.

"Here, look at this," He said quietly. White Tiger grabbed the phone and Danny and Powerman crowded around her.

Powerman took one look and jumped backwards, shaking his head.

Danny was frozen in place. He stared at the picture, willing it to disappear. It was slightly blurry, a product of Nova's shaking hands, but there was no mistaking the message.

This wasn't just disorganized chaos. It was words. A signature burned into the very city itself, only visible from a bird's eye view.

 ** _Devil King_**

Danny paled. Everyone stared at him, and he could feel their silent fear. Doubt. Accusations.

"No. Okay, no! NO! This is crazy! This is beyond crazy! I bet that kid did it! He's the bad guy here!" Powerman yelled.

"Kaleb," Spiderman said softly. "His name is Kaleb."

Danny blinked in surprise, "You spoke to him?"

"Yeah. I did."

"NO!" Powerman went on, "Everyone stop. Fury said he was going to brief us right? So we wait until that, and then we can form our opinions! And I'm telling you there's something weird with that kid, okay? This wasn't…This isn't…Danny didn't…"

Danny smiled sadly at his best friend. Then he couldn't withstand the pressure in his hands any longer, and they burst into flames.

The group jumped back.

"I knew it," He heard Spiderman whisper to himself.

"That doesn't mean anything! I've seen your Chi change color before!" Powerman argued, but his tone was more pleading than definitive.

"You have seen it dull before, my friend. You have never seen it change completely," Danny reminded him.

"SHUT UP DANNY! I'm trying to help you!"

Danny turned so that he was facing everyone at once. He bowed his head.

"This burn was made with a dark magic. My Chi becomes red when in the presence of that magic," He explained. It wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the complete truth either. He had, of course, neglected to mention that this only happened to people who also possessed that dark magic.

"See?" Powerman grinned. "What did I tell you!"

"We're not blaming you Fist…" Tiger said, "But we're concerned."

Danny heard the implication of her words. They were scared of him. Or of what he might represent.

 _It's understandable,_ Danny thought darkly, _everyone else was scared too._

* * *

 **Bit of a longer chapter, just because there was a lot I wanted to get in. So I was wondering who's on team Danny and who's on team Peter, meaning do you think that Danny didn't do anything wrong or unjustified and is not the Devil King? Or are you suspicious and distrustful like Pete?**

 **Tell me in the reviews!**

 **Wolf Out…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey hey! So in case any of you were wondering about these parts in the beginning, they are between Danny and someone named Ada, who's name was mentioned in the first one. Also the information is going to be given very gradually because technically this is a mystery, and you guys are supposed to be trying to solve it just like Peter. Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheImmortalWeapon: Ha, funny how we all updated our Danny stories at the same time, not even planned. Gad you liked it, but the kid hasn't been in any flashbacks yet. The other person so far is named Ada, and is Danny's partner. Love all your theories as usual, you'll see soon enough! Very true about the teams, I think Danny is kind of in the middle. But what do you think?**

 **TheRandGirl: Ooh thank you for choosing a team! I like your argument, I guess we'll see if you're right!**

 **TabbyCat: Ah, so you suspect Kaleb. Interesting. Thanks for reviewing. #TeamDanny**

 **SilverShadowstorm: Yeah, I love cliff hangers. Glad you're enjoying this! By the way I love your story, The Stray.**

 **Masked Revenge: Thank you so much! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _"Danny please we can't do th_ i—"

 _"Didn't I say you can't call me Danny anymore? My name here is Dracov. Don't mess this up."_

 _"Well I don't care what your name is or what the mission is! I'm not killing anyone and you can't make me!"_

 _"Then you can watch me do it. The Devil King ordered this. We have no choice."_

* * *

Two hours later, the teens were in Fury's office all unmasked. Ava had her arms crossed, but her eyes were teary. Luke was sitting so close to Danny that he was nearly in his lap, protecting him from accusations. Sam was staring down at the floor, a blank look on his face. And Danny had been given metal gloves to keep his Chi in check.

Peter surveyed them all with a tangle of emotions. He couldn't unsee that horrible signature. How many people had died just for that message to be sent? He eyed Danny.

Peter knew he kept secrets. He knew that he was more powerful than he liked to show. The entire Kun'Lun adventure had proved that. But Peter still couldn't quite believe that Danny had done this.

But Peter was a scientist, and all scientists know not to bash an idea until it has been proven wrong. And there was still much evidence to uncover. He shifted his attention to Fury, who paced at the head of the long table.

"So, what's going on Fury?" Peter asked.

"Do you want an honest answer?"

Everyone nodded.

"We don't know," Fury said. There was a pause, before Sam jumped up.

"What does that mean?!"

"We don't know what's going on," Fury explained, "That boy, Kaleb…SHIELD has been watching him ever since he came to New York about two years ago. He had a foster family for a while, but eventually they kicked him out and he ran off to live in that building that burned.

"We picked up that he had traces of magic in his system, so we thought he could be a potential recruit. But now he's here too soon."

Fury paused a bit, waiting for a reaction. Peter was silent, trying to make sense of the story.

"You said he had magic," Luke said, "Could he have made that burn in the city?"

"No. Like I said, he's not at all ready for anything like that. We didn't expect to have him yet."

"Director Fury, please continue with the briefing," Ava said. Peter nodded, agreeing.

Fury massaged his temples, "We've been trying to talk to him, but he hasn't given us much. Although he does have an odd idea of Iron Fist."

Everyone flinched.

"Anyway," Fury went on, "Kaleb has very little records and identification. The only thing we really know is his given name, and his current one. But we know that he was not the one to make the signature. And until proven, we are saying that Iron Fist didn't do it either. However, if _anyone_ knows anything…"

Peter's mind whirled, processing every detail. His eyes darted around, focusing on nothing and everything. He knew it was wrong, but he felt almost excited at the prospect of solving a mystery that even SHIELD couldn't crack.

But first, he needed a hypothesis. And for that, he needed at least a little more information.

"Fury, what's Kaleb's real name?" He asked suddenly.

"Kanto Hiyori. And the lab tests confirm he is Chinese."

A high pitched choking sound came from the back of the room. Danny had paled considerably, and was coughing into his hand.

"What's wrong Da—" Luke began.

"Nothing, my hands hurt. I'm going to the med bay to get the gloves off," Danny said quickly. He turned to Luke, "Fill me in later."

"What? Wait!" Ava growled, but he was already out the door.

"It's probably best that he left," Fury said, "Kaleb wouldn't want to see him."

"You mean, we get to go see the kid?" Sam asked. Fury nodded, and walked out. The remaining heroes exchanged glances, then ran after him.

* * *

Danny rushed through the halls. His chest heaved and he stumbled, but he kept running. Only, he wasn't going to the med bay. He was going somewhere very different.

The name repeated in his mind. _Hiyori_. Now he knew who the kid must be. And yet it all seemed surreal.

He burst into his room, grabbing a box from under his bed. Danny fumbled with the lock, his gloves making it impossible to open.

 _Okay, it's fine. Just focus._

He took a deep breath, then concentrated on the burning. He amplified it, drawing out its energy. The pain grew and grew, but he ignored it. Danny panted, unsure if he could do it anymore.

But finally the fire exploded from his skin, searing straight through the metal gloves. The ruined pieces fell to the floor in a pile of mush. Danny waited for the flames to die down, then opened the box.

Its contents were simple: an ornate knife, a tin of copper powder, and a purple gem. Danny grabbed the gem, squeezing it in his palms until a doorway appeared in the center of the room. It shone brightly, and would have been obvious to anyone watching the SHIELD cameras, except for the fact that Danny had long since _tampered_ with the cameras in his room.

 _I used to be able to this by myself but my powers have surely waned. Now only one person can help me._

Danny walked through the doorway, carrying the box, and emerged in a grand living room. The ceiling arched above his head and plush red carpet softened his steps. An eternal fire burned in the fire place, casting its golden glow over the room.

"Hello Daniel, I had a feeling you'd come here," Dr. Strange said, entering the room and sitting in a large red armchair.

"Sorcerer Supreme," Danny bowed, "I believe members of the Order are in New York."

"Yes well, it's hard to miss them when they're scorching entire streets."

Danny showed him the box, "I want to contact them before they do any more damage."

Dr. Strange pursed his lips and Danny felt ashamed. He knew the Sorcerer didn't like getting involved with the Order.

"What makes you think they'll respond?"

"I'm going to offer myself," Danny answered, "That's what they want."

"Ah, is that why they set you up to meet Hiyori?" Dr. Strange smiled somberly.

Danny lowered his head. He wasn't sure why they had done that. Until now, he'd been certain he'd never see another Hiyori again. But he knew he had to at least try to reach them. Dr. Strange seemed to read his thoughts.

"Alright. I will oversee the communication process, but it will be up to you what to say."

"Thank you," Danny said. He dropped to the floor, sitting with his legs crossed, and slipped off his shirt. Then he grabbed the copper powder and sprinkled it over his arms and torso. Dr. Strange touched the gem in his cloak, and began chanting softly.

 _I haven't done this in years._

Danny bit his lip, nervous. Then he grabbed the knife from his box and made three cuts in each bicep.

"Order of Always…I sense your presence…I am prepared to offer myself….what are you doing in the Outside?" Danny murmured.

Nothing happened.

"Order of Always…This is King Daniel…What are you doing in the Outside?" Danny repeated.

Still nothing. Nearly half an hour crawled by. Danny sighed finally. Dr. Strange stopped chanting.

"I am sorry Daniel," He said. Danny stood up, stretching.

"It's alright. I should not have expected—" Danny stopped, pain suddenly exploding in his torso. He staggered backwards, falling onto the ground.

Deep incisions were appearing in his chest. Dr. Strange's eyes widened.

"They're answering," The man said.

Danny gritted his teeth as Dr. Strange resumed chanting. The pain eased slightly. Danny stared down at the words being carved into his skin. The message was long, spilling down into his stomach area. But finally it finished, and Danny wiped away the blood to read it.

 ** _Dracov, we will collect you in time. But first, the last of the Order will watch you burn._**

* * *

 **Oooh! Mysterious! So at this point Peter is in full detective mode! Yay! And soon you'll get to see the team ask "Kaleb" some questions! Please Review!**

 **Wolf Out...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey hey hey! Sorry for the wait, here is the chapter! Pay attention, lots of clues and backstory hints will be dropped! Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheRandGirl: Glad you're excited! Sorry if I was a bit unclear, the Order is an organization, so more than one person. Ooh I love your theories! You're getting closer, but not quite! Keep guessing and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Masked Revenge: Thank you so much! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **TabbyCat: Thanks! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"I…I…"_

 _"Dan—I mean—Drakov…are you okay?"_

 _"I just…I can't believe I just…"_

 _"Breathe. Did you complete the mission?"_

 _"Y-yes...I just kil…eliminated, Jujii Hiyori and his wife…"_

* * *

Peter and the others were huddled in a padded white room. The whirring of monitors and electricity was loud enough to emphasize the fact that they were being watched.

Kaleb sat in a corner, still wearing his hospital gown. His eyes widened on seeing the teens, but he said nothing.

"You have fifteen minutes," Fury said, then walked out. Peter took a deep breath. He was about to speak when Luke barreled past him.

"Kaleb!" He growled, "What do you have against our friend?"

Peter blinked. The way Luke said 'our friend' made him feel guilty.

"King Daniel is a liar," Kaleb said softly.

" _King_ Daniel?" Ava repeated. "Then, you must be from Kun'Lun, right?"

Kaleb nodded quickly.

"Okay Kaleb," Peter said, "You can't keep accusing Danny without telling us what he's done."

Kaleb squinted his eyes, staring at everyone in turn. Finally he sighed.

"No. King Daniel is a liar."

Luke lunged but Sam threw himself on top of him.

"He's framing Danny!" Luke screamed.

"Powerman calm down we still have ten minutes!" Sam yelled, his nova strength only barely enough to stop the rampaging hero.

"You guys are all blind. You're horrible friends! Danny is one of us and you can't doubt him like this!"

"We're not doubting him Powerman!" Peter roared, "We just need information!"

Luke stopped, scowled.

"Then have fun with that. I know everything I need to know," He said. Then he walked out of the room.

Peter massaged his head. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Was nothing ever easy?

"Alright no one else move or speak. We can't all go crazy like this," He said it quietly, so the others were forced to listen.

"Spidey's right," Ava agreed. Sam nodded.

"Great," Peter turned to Kaleb again. "Now you. You have to tell us everything you know."

"I thought he was a good king," Kaleb whispered. "But I saw his red Chi in the battle with electro."

Sam knelt down in front of him. "Danny told us that happens when he's near dark magic. Is that true?"

Kaleb shrugged, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.

"Way to go Bucket-Head," Ava muttered.

The speaker crackled to life. "That's enough. Fifteen minutes is up."

"But Fury, we can't leave yet!" Peter whined. There was no answer, and Ava and Sam began leaving.

 _Ugh, fine!_

Peter walked towards the door, but felt Kaleb's fingers grabbing his costume.

"Spider," He said.

"What's up?" Peter asked.

"You don't trust him right?"

"Who? Danny? I….Well I mean…" Peter fumbled.

 _Of course you trust him! Tell him you trust him!_

Kaleb took his silence as an answer.

"Have you ever heard of a cosmic reputation?"

"Cosmic what?"

"It's like a title that you influence with your actions. In kun'lun we say that it is what you are judged on by the dragon lords, after you die. But only a few people can see these titles."

Peter blinked slowly. "Okay…"

"I can see them Spider. And I want you to see them too," Kaleb said, eyes flashing, "Give me your hand."

Peter hesitated.

 _This is all kinds of creepy._

Finally, he relented. Kaleb closed his eyes and placed his fist into Peter's extended hand. He trembled slightly, then pulled away.

"Goodbye Spider."

Peter squinted, suddenly feeling dizzy. He focused and realized words were appearing over Kaleb's head.

 _Alone. His title. It says 'alone.'_

"Th-thanks…" Peter stuttered, then he rushed out of the room as fast as he could.

* * *

Danny walked through the crowded Manhattan streets. The sky was the color of cement, and spat foul-smelling rain onto the citizens below. His black hoodie absorbed the downpour, the cold water seeping into his bones.

The bandages around his torso were a paper vice. But he ignored all of these things. Danny's goal was simple.

He was going to find the members of the Order. And then…well…then he would make sure that they'd never come back.

 _They have to be watching me right now. I just need to draw them out._

Danny wandered in and out of alleyways. In other cities, he might've been noticed. But the people of New York had long since become accustomed to such things.

The pain in his hands stayed consistent, and he shoved them deeper into his pockets.

 _Is this unwise? I don't even know how many of them are here. They could have an entire army…_

He shook those thoughts away. Their numbers didn't matter. He couldn't allow them to further ruin his city.

 _It's not my city though. I don't belong here. I've never belonged here._

Danny squeezed his eyes shut. And when he opened them up there was a sword heading for his face. Hands tangled in his pockets, Danny stumbled backwards.

The blade whistled as it passed him. Danny gasped and regained his balance. He threw his weight to the center and ignited his fists. Standing before him, his opponent was clad in all black, save for a red symbol burned into his chest.

The Chinese character for "devil."

Danny tensed. Luckily, they were hidden from view of the main streets.

"What do you want?" He growled. But he knew it was useless. Low class members were not allowed to speak during battle.

The ninja readied his sword, then lunged forward. Danny dodged it easily, landing a punch to his back. The ninja spun around, moving clumsily from side to side. He lashed out with his sword, managing to slice into Danny's leg.

The hero grunted, shifting his weight again and grabbing the ninja's shoulders. Danny pushed him into a wall, didn't let go, and kneed him in the stomach.

"As ordered by the king of Kun'Lun, tell me what you want," He whispered.

No answer.

Of course.

Danny slammed the ninja's head against the concrete over and over, his hands glowing with reddening fire. An anger he thought he'd learned to control began to surface.

 _This one must be very new. He's so weak. I could hurt him very badly._

The ninja took every blow in complete silence. He didn't struggle at all, almost as if…

 _As if he's stalling!_

No sooner had the thought crossed Danny's mind that he felt another presence behind him. He turned his head into a punch that sent him crumpling to the floor.

The ninja staggered over to stand next to his much larger partner.

This one was dressed the same as the first, but with red strips of fabric tied around his arms and legs, and a red mask instead of a black one.

The difference in class was obvious.

"King Daniel," The larger ninja drawled. "It's been very long since we last spoke."

Danny recognized the voice.

"The Order was disbanded three years ago, you should have no power…"

"Wrong. Members of the Order draw power from the Devil King. And since we've finally found you, our abilities have been restored."

Danny winced at the truth of those words. He stood up slowly, his red Chi spreading up to his shoulders.

"The _Devil King_ is in Kun'Lunian jail."

The large ninja laughed. "Yes well, that's what you and your silly monks want everyone to believe. After all, how would it look if the public knew that their beloved Immortal Weapon doubled as a bloodthirsty assassin?"

Clenching his jaw, Danny took a step forward. He knew there was no point in playing dumb anymore.

"What do you want?"

"For the Order to be reborn. With you as our king, _Drakov._ "

"I'm done playing that part."

There was a pause, and Danny could have sworn the larger ninja smiled.

"I know."

He crouched and kicked Danny in the chest. Danny bit back a scream as he hit the wall and felt his wounds reopen. He ducked as a fist flew above him, then dived into a tackle. He and the ninja rolled around on the floor, Danny throwing punches whenever he could.

The ninja unsheathed a dagger and Danny felt it dig deep into his shoulder. Blood dappled his clothes.

Danny roared, his eyes glowing red.

"Yes Drakov, I can feel you feeding me!"

This time it was Danny who refused to talk back. He focused on cutting off his Chi, but it was impossible. Then a sound to the left made him freeze. He knew that sound as well as he knew the back of his hand.

The squish of a blade being shoved deep into a body, then the thud of a new corpse hitting the ground.

Danny stared at the smaller ninja, who had, until now, been absent from battle. He was standing over a little girl, seemingly plucked off the street.

Red crept up her white church dress and it occurred to Danny that it was Sunday.

"No…" Danny rasped.

He found himself being shoved next to the girl, and the blade being pressed into his hands.

"Why…"

"For incentive," The large ninja spoke, "If your own city hates you, then you'll have no more ties here."

Then he and his partner retreated into the shadows. Danny stared at the corpse in front of him. He needed to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to stand.

His head spun from the stench of blood, both his and the girl's. He trembled with the rage of being so hopeless.

Danny raised his wrist, ready to call SHIELD. But he hadn't brought his communicator, nor his phone. So instead he sat, and waited for his fate.

* * *

 **Intense eh? So the Chinese character mentioned is the one in the cover art, and not only means devil, but 'witch' 'goblin' 'evil magic user' and all those wonderful things! Lots of little hints and things revealed in this chapter, and certainly more to come! Review!**

 **Wolf Out...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay so funny story, I wrote this while watching the Blair Witch Project (yes, the original), and then Insidious. You know, to get in the mood. The Blair Witch Project was really good but not scary at all. It was fun to watch but just...kind of lacking. Especially in the end. Insidious though...well now I'm absolutely terrified. Like, all the lights are on.**

 **So yeah, just in case you were looking for some Halloween scary movies to watch, I'd recommend both of them. Oh, and also The Sixth Sense. Enjoy!**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheRandGirl: Ah yes, much more evil to come. This is only the beginning. Cool theory, but not quite. Actually now that you mention it, I had totally forgotten about Scorpion. Hmm...I guess I don't really know if he'll be making an appearance, since I hadn't even thought of him. But maybe! Enjoy the story!**

 **Guest: Nice theories, but not exactly. Good points, I like the way you're thinking. But really it wouldn't be too terribly hard to steal a child from a massive crowd like a New York sidewalk. But that will all be explained next chapter or so. Glad you like this!**

 **Masked Revenge: Interesting, but not quite. Though there will probably be travel to Kun'Lun later in the story.**

 **TheImmortalWeapon: Ooh, I like that. That is pretty close to being correct, on the victimization of the characters. Sorry, but who did you mean by 'other guy'? The ninja? If so, that's an interesting take. Very different from other theories I've been given. You are right, the title will have to be seen from very different angles. Yep, I've set up a whole system for them, you'll be seeing that later. Thanks for reviewing! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _"Drakov? Please listen to me, I need to talk to you."_

 _"Huh, Shui? Why are you crying?"_

 _"It's Arai...he...behind the hall...he tried to..."_

 _"What? What did he do?"_

 _"He tried to...touch me...you know? He kissed me and then he grabbed me and I barely got away from him and-"_

 _"You idiot."_

 _"W-what? What do you-"_

 _"Arai is not only in the highest class, he is close to the Devil King! We need to be on his good side and you might've just ruined that by running away! Besides, you're a Class One female. At this point, your fertility is your only use."_

* * *

Peter stumbled through SHIELD with a thousand thoughts racing through his head. He could barely comprehend what had just happened.

Kaleb had done something to him. That little boy. He had...

 _What did he call it? A repu...a celestial...A cosmic reputation!_

He hugged himself as he walked, looking for his team. Everything seemed to be normal. Agents still crowded the briefing rooms.

Things still fell when they were dropped.

The sky was still blue.

Yet Peter felt so different now. Off-balance.

He picked out a doctor, walking through the halls at a brisk, professional pace. She stopped to talk to some agents at a corner, her bright lipstick contrasting with the gray walls.

Peter stared hard at the space just above her head, trying to practice his new ability. His eyes watered heavily, but he refused to blink.

The lady began shifting the papers in her arms. She smiled at the agents.

 _She's about to walk away! Why isn't this working!?_

He stared harder, narrowing his eyes. The air above her rippled slightly. Then words began to appear.

Peter felt a pang of excitement as each word came and went in an instant, some passing too quickly to read. It looked as if they were shuffling, trying to select the perfect title.

 _Intelligent_

 _Worker_

 _Broken_

 _Fixed_

 _Happy_

 _Sad_

They cycled so fast that Peter's head started to hurt. Then, finally, as she was starting to walk away, one title froze in place. Solid. Unchangeable.

 _Desperate._

Peter blinked. The woman left.

 _I did it. I...I did it..._

He stared down at himself in amazement. Then felt guilty. This power, it allowed him to see people for what they really were. Wasn't that an invasion of privacy?

How could he do that to people?

And more importantly, why had Kaleb allowed him to?

Peter trotted through the hallways with these questions in mind. He wondered if should tell the team about it. He knew for sure he couldn't tell Danny. Probably not Luke either.

But maybe Sam or Ava.

Though it'd be hard to get them alone without Luke.

He kept pondering this, and switched directions. Maybe his team could wait. He wanted to practice a little bit longer.

...

After a few hours of playing around, Peter was actually exhausted. He suspected the power was leaching his energy away after each use. But he was satisfied with the results. Experimenting was the only way to get answers in life, after all.

Although he did feel slightly guilty, it was also strangely fun. He felt so smug, almost cocky, knowing everyone's real identity. Though he promised himself he wouldn't use it on his friends, or anyone he knew well. That would be wrong.

But it was fun to imagine what his team's titles would be.

Sam? Maybe...arrogant? Ava would definitely be determined. And Luke...hmm...protective? Loving?

As if summoned by his thoughts, Peter suddenly found himself being knocked over by the sunglasses-wearing hero. He hit the ground and rolled back onto the balls of his feet, reflexively dropping into a combat stance.

But Luke didn't even notice, he was panting and rubbing his hands like a madman.

"Fist's not in his room!" He breathed.

"What?"

"Danny! Danny's not here. He wasn't supposed to leave the Tricarrier!" Luke growled. Peter faltered, shock radiating through his system. He recovered quickly though, placing a hand on Luke's arm.

"Powerman. It's okay. This place is huge, I'm sure he's somewhere around here."

"Well we need to find him before Fury does. What if Fury tries to lock him up or something? Or worse?!"

"Okay calm down. You heard Nick. He's innocent until proven guilty. And we have no evidence!" Peter said. He caught himself from saying 'yet'.

But just as Luke nodded, they heard it. Screaming.

Very familiar screaming.

Peter and Luke shared a terrified look.

They yelled, "Danny!"

Then they both shot off through the corridor.

Peter used his webs to get ahead, speeding faster and faster. Suspicions aside, he wasn't going to let his friend get hurt. But as he neared the source of the sound he realized that it wasn't screams of pain.

But screams of anger.

And coming from Danny, that scared him even more.

But when he finally burst into the entrance hall of the Tricarrier, he gasped. Because the word over Danny's head was plain and clear and he hadn't even had to focus.

And mixed with the scene that was unfolding before him, Peter almost believed it.

Because Danny was covered in blood.

And because the word was 'Killer'.

* * *

Danny was mad. He was incredibly and so simply mad. Mad at himself for being such an idiot. Mad at SHIELD for not believing him.

Mad at the Order for daring to exist.

Mad at the hands that were holding him roughly. And mad at the armada of guns that were jabbing into his back and sides.

He had been found shortly before by SHIELD, and was now being escorted through the Tricarrier.

"I didn't kill her!" Danny growled for the fifth time.

The agents only tightened their grips on his bloodstained clothes. The stench of it rotted the air. Somewhere behind them, the medical team was examining the little girl.

"Let me go now!" Danny hissed. He couldn't handle it. He couldn't handle how utterly _unfair_ the situation was.

"Daniel Rand you have the right to remain silent," An agent said in a cool, clipped tone that did nothing to hide his fear.

"You're lucky we found you before the police did," Another added.

"I didn't kill her! Let me go! I didn't do anything! I was trying to save her!" He wondered if that last part was true. She had been technically already dead when he got to her, but he had stayed with her. And wasn't that considered helping? Mourning?

Whatever. It didn't matter. He hadn't killed her and they had to believe him. Even though his finger prints covered the murder weapon and her blood covered him.

"Look at me!" Danny yelled. "Loot at me! I'm injured too! Who stabbed me? Huh? Not her!"

But no one even caught his gaze.

Danny squirmed wildly, tears threatening to spill. Everything hurt. His wounds only added to his agony.

He couldn't focus. His hands burned.

 _Calm down. You're making it worse!_

But he couldn't calm down. He could barely breathe. And to make things harder, Peter and Luke entered the chaos at that exact moment. He heard Peter gasp loudly, and saw his eye plates widen.

But he was staring at something just above Danny's head.

 _What is he doing?_

Immediately, Luke began throwing agents around like ragdolls.

"What do you think you're doing! What the hell are you doing?!" He roared. Danny was impressed. He had never heard Luke curse.

"Powerman!" He called, falling to the floor as the agents let go of him.

Luke grabbed him, helping him to his feet.

"What happened? Danny what happened!?"

"I didn't kill her," Danny muttered softly. The fight was beginning to leak out of him. Some blood still dripped from his cuts.

"I promise I didn't kill her," He whispered.

"Danny? Danny hey! What are you...Danny!" Luke sputtered as Danny closed his eyes and fell limp on the floor.

* * *

 **Intense right? Yeah, not as much as freaking Insidious! But you know what, I already managed to get an hour through the movie, so it'd be wrong not to finish it. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed!**

 **I'll just go hide under my blankets. If I don't update for more than a week and a half then you know the astral demons got me.**

 **Wolf Out...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yay, extra long chapter for you guys. Also,** **IMPORTANT: I realized that last chapter, I'd forgotten to put in the flash back scene, so please go read that if you didn't already.**

 **Also, I'm a beta now. So like, um, send me your stories if you want them checked and stuff.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Masked revenge: You'll find that out in this chapter, kind of. Enjoy!**

 **Tabby Cat: Thanks! Enjoy the chapter! Lots of clues and backstory in this one.**

 **TheRandGirl: Yep, he's killed before! Interesting, you're getting closer. As I said, they probably will end up in Kun'Lun later on. There's loads of backstory hints and clues in this chapter, so I look forward to your theories. Enjoy!**

 **SilverShadowstorm: I'm happy you like it! Things are just gonna get faster. Lol, thank you for you concern. Demons can be pretty rough. XD**

 **TheImmortalWeapon: Oh okay, that makes sense. Actually I haven't been able to keep up with them, so it's quite funny that you say that. Very bizarre coincidence. But I did watch the trailer and I'm super excited. (The trailer has a very Green Arrow vibe to it, if you've watched that show.) Dr. Strange may or may not play a bigger role, but if he does it'll probably be later on. I will tell you, since it doesn't spoil anything, that cosmic reps can only be manipulated by the actions and choices of the holder. Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

 _"Drakov, what are you thinking of?"_

 _"Hm? Oh, nothing in particular."_

 _"But you just came back from a mission didn't you? Doesn't that mean you've killed someone else?"_

 _"Well yeah. But you get used to it eventually. In fact, if you don't behave during the ceremony I might have to kill you too."_

 _"Ha...you're kidding...right?"_

 _"Of course...I was just kidding."_

* * *

Peter was in a daze. He watched as doctors and agents transported the unconscious Danny away. He stared as Luke followed them, screaming. He watched all of it with the detached, cold speculation of a scientific mind.

 _You should do something. You should vouch for him. You should believe him._

Peter blinked, then looked at the floor. An agent jostled him as he rushed past, almost knocking him into a wall. No reaction.

 _That was rude._

Soon Peter was the only one left in the large entrance. He listened to the silence, reviewed the facts in his head. Danny had killed someone. His title proved it. Danny was a murderer.

 _No wait. Maybe not necessarily a murderer...it could have been self defense._

 _But against a little girl?_

He tried hard to remember the corpse. She had been what...maybe seven? Eight? Not more than ten. And she'd had long blond hair and glassy green eyes and pale skin and...

 _Oh my God!_

Peter's eyes widened as he realized the resemblance.

 _No that's ridiculous. Danny doesn't have any family left._

Yet the theory was there. And Peter had a million more questions than he started with. Which was fine, because he was going to convince Fury to let him interrogate Danny. And he'd get answers, no matter what he had to do to get them.

* * *

Danny sat, freshly awoken, in the interrogation room. He had been given a few machines for his injuries, including an IV and a heart monitor, but had immediately torn everything off.

And now he was alone with the camera. He knew it was there, somewhere. But he couldn't care less.

 _Someone's going to come in. What do I say?_

He looked around the bland room. Grey. Simple grey on grey coloring and very little space. He sighed, ran a hand through his bangs. His hair was sticky with blood that wasn't his.

He stared at the red on his palms. He hated how intriguing it was. How perfect. It was so deep and rich in color and drew him in with a hypnotic lulling.

Side effects.

One of the many side effects of the elixir. He hadn't had any in so long, but his prolonged exposure had been enough to instill a savage-like bloodlust.

He still remembered the day when the monks had called him and Ada. Told them to infiltrate the Order. Kill the Devil King and save Kun'lun.

 _Mission accomplished. But now I'm the Devil King._

Danny huffed, his handcuffs biting into his wrists. He tensed, hearing footsteps outside. He held his breath, bracing himself. But they passed his room and he relaxed slightly.

 _I didn't kill that girl. But her death was still my fault._

He gritted his teeth, then gasped as the intercom crackled to life.

"Daniel Rand," A young voice rang out into the room. An agent, obviously not very experienced.

"Yes?" Danny asked the air, feeling somewhat self-conscious. The agent went on, sounding as if he was reading from a script. Which he probably was.

"Your preliminary examination is about to begin, um...after which...after which someone will come in to inter...interrrrr? _Interrogate_ you."

Danny nodded, assuming he was being watched.

"Okay, please confirm your full name and age."

"Daniel Thomas Rand-Kai. Eighteen."

"Thank you. Now I will...erm...ask some basic questions about your case. Please note that there is a lie-detector in function and I will know each time you do not tell the truth."

Danny blinked. Then nodded slowly. This wasn't good. He looked around slyly, trying to locate the alleged detector, but he couldn't see it. Which meant he couldn't try and disable it with his Chi.

"First question: did you knowingly leave the Tricarrier while not permitted to do so?"

"...I did."

"During your time outside, did you have a weapon?"

"No."

"What killed the child?"

"A...a sword," Danny sighed. But he hadn't told a lie yet, and hopefully the agent knew that.

"So you saw the child die?"

"Yes."

"And what were you doing while this was happening?"

Danny hesitated. He couldn't mention the Order. But he also needed to tell the truth. He thought fast, knowing his pause looked suspicious.

"I was protecting the city," He answered vaguely.

"Do you believe to have killed the child?"

What did that even mean? Danny narrowed his eyes, realizing where the accusations were going. They thought he was crazy.

"No," He hissed.

"Did you see who killed her?"

"Yes."

"Could you identify him or her?"

"No." As soon as the words were out, Danny knew it was a mistake. There was a long silence, where the machine had obviously reported his lie.

"H-have you ever been accused of murder prior to this?"

"No."

Another silence.

"Thank you Daniel, someone will be along shortly for extensive questioning."

Danny buried his head in his arms, inhaling the smell of his bandages. He was completely in trouble. One hundred percent.

What was he supposed to do now? The Order wasn't going to stop until he went with them...or got rid of them.

 _But I tried already. And Arai...I can't believe he's back. And he had some rookie with him, who could that have been?_

The door clicked open suddenly. Footsteps edged their way inside with an uneven, nervous gait.

Danny didn't look up. He couldn't bare to. Nor did he bother to even try and identify his interrogator in other ways. A pasty hand appeared on the table in front of him, nails stained black and blue.

"Hi Danny," A soft voice said.

Danny's head snapped up so quickly he heard his neck pop. His eyes bulged and he choked on his own spit.

The teenager in front of him stepped back a bit. His skin was pale and cracked, and mysterious stains pigmented his arms. Tangled black hair fell in front of his dusty grey eyes.

And Danny knew exactly who he was.

"Kito Rinji," Danny hissed, instantly standing up.

"Hey, that's kind of harsh. You and Ada used to call me Kit, remember?"

"That was when I liked you," Danny growled harshly. His hands itched and burned. He was going to go off again.

 _Accuse me with murder...Put me in jail...Turn everyone against me and make me rejoin the Order...but not this. Not him._

"Um...I don't want to fight or anything...so maybe you could sit down?" Kito chuckled nervously.

"What. Do. You. Want?"

"Well Arai thinks that-"

" _Arai!?_ How do you know Arai?! Wait, you were the rookie member! YOU KILLED THAT LITTLE GIRL!?" Danny leapt over the table, but the handcuffs pulled him back painfully. He grunted, rocketing backwards and slipping off his chair. He writhed on the floor, glaring at Kito with all the hate in the world.

Kito had somehow turned even paler, and was holding his mouth as if he were about to vomit.

"I erg...yeah I...I did. Please don't mention it again Danny. That was only my third time and it still makes me sick."

"You are sick."

"Ha ha, I guess so. Probably from all those chemicals. But anyway, Arai thinks that you'll come back to the Order if we make you miserable. But I convinced him to let me talk to you personally before we went any further in our plan. You know, because we're best friends and all..."

Danny spat at him, his hands beginning to ignite through the hand cuffs. "We are not friends. We have not been friends ever since Ada died. And we are even _less_ of friends now that you've joined that cult!"

"You joined it."

"I was on a mission sanctioned by the Monastery."

"Oh, really? I guess you never told me. Is that how Ada died? Because I never really believed that she'd just fallen off a mountain. I mean, it's possible. But she wasn't that clumsy. I had theories, but no one would tell me anything. Maybe if you can tell me now? That'd be really great. But only if you want to...friends don't pressure friends."

"Get out. Kito get out right this second. I don't know how you got in here, but we're both being watched on camera and someone will come inside soon and I will order you imprisoned."

"Wow you'd do that? Just for me? You know, I'd love to be caged up with you and all, but we really should be getting back to the Order. I can bust you out, if you want. You should see the experiment Arai did on me. It's really cool. He said if I joined and let him test things on me, he would protect me while I did my own research."

"Kito do not tell me you're still continuing that stupid experiment. I told you what I would do if you ever restarted that," Danny said dangerously. But on the inside, he was on the verge of a break down. He wanted nothing more than to destroy Kito.

But he couldn't. Before he could issue any more false threats, Kito spoke again in his maddeningly oblivious tone.

"Well I have to admit, when you completely obliterated my research a few years ago, and ruined my experiments, and annihilated my lab, and almost killed me...I was pretty mad. But then I realized that you didn't mean it. And I had been doing the equations all wrong anyway, so you probably saved me a lot of time.

"Oh! And don't worry about the camera, I disabled it for now. So...um...are you coming or..."

Danny closed his eyes, tried to calm his beating heart. He opened them again and Kito was crouched down, his face inches from Danny's.

"No. Tell Arai that I will never come back," Danny said slowly. Kito lingered for a second, then blinked.

"Okay. I'll tell him you'll think about it. Bye Danny!" He said, then stood up.

Danny watched him start to walk away, and called out.

"Hey _Kit!_ "

Kito's head swiveled around with hope shining in his eyes.

"Yes?"

"You deserve to die."

There was a pause. Then a slow smile crept up Kito's face.

"Yeah, that's probably true." He said, then walked out. And it was only half an hour later that Danny's real interrogator showed up, and found Danny sitting calmly at the desk, hands folded.

As if nothing had happened.

* * *

 **Guys! Guys! Okay so, I finished Insidious and guess what? It ended on the biggest cliff hanger of all time. Why, you ask? BECAUSE IT'S A SERIES. There are four! FOUR of these movies. As in, more than one. As in, more than three! (okay so it's technically only three movies right now, but number four is coming out next year)!**

 **But anyway, there was so much backstory and clues in this chapter, so feel free to ask me any questions. See you next week-ish!**

 **Wolf Out...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Spooky scary authors, send shivers down your spine! Take too long to update stuff and don't apologize...(Good for you if you sang that in your head.)**

 **Hi hi guys! Guess what? I have a fictionpress now! I know, I know...that's kind of lame. Stop laughing. But since Halloween is coming up, I'm putting up loads of original horror stories with plenty of death and psychology and gore. So like, if you're into that...um...check it out. It's literally the same penname and everything.**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheRandGirl: Lol, good theories. Okay so yeah, I figured people would be a bit confused with all the characters. You've seen all the major ones now though so that's good, and no more will be introduced that are actually important. I put a list at the bottom of who the characters are, but you pretty much got it right. Yes, Ada and Shui are the same person. You are correct on Danny and Ada having to eliminate the Devil King, and that now those powers are Danny's. The Order wants him because those powers are the literal energy source of the whole organization. And everything else, well, you'll find out. ;)**

 **Masked Revenge: YAY THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY! Ha, but really thanks for reviewing! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _"It's not fair Drakov! Why do I have to go to the ceremony again?! I...I can't...Not every six months...please..."  
_

 _"Those are the rules Shui. Class One women go twice a year. You would be a Class Three by now if you killed more."_

 _"Like you do?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"You know that isn't true. We have to kill twice as much to class up."_

 _"It is only so we men have more options. Think of it as a compliment sister dear...how else would we expand our Order if it wasn't for you beautiful girls? Now think of that tonight, and I'll see you tomorrow."_

 _"...I wonder sometimes if you remember that we are on a mission...sometimes you sound just like these monsters."_

* * *

Peter faced Danny, standing in the doorway of the interrogation room. He had expected to feel something. Expected loud organ music to groan into a crescendo of battle cries.

Expected Danny to look different. Maybe wearing all black? Or with evil in his eyes.

Nothing.

It was quiet and awkward and Danny looked like his usual innocent self. He sat with his hands folded and cuffed on the table, staring down with an unreadable expression.

And Peter felt all of his bravado melting away, until he just stood there. Feeling naked almost. Weak.

 _He's your suspect. But he's also your friend._

"Hey Fist!" He blurted. "Um...I asked Fury if I could ask you some questions and uh...well..."

"Peter please do not pretend that you believe me," Danny said suddenly.

"What?"

"You think I am a monster. You think I killed that girl and ruined the city."

And there it was. That difference that Peter had been waiting for. Because while Danny looked the same on the outside, his voice held an edge that Peter had never heard before. And that was all he needed to regain his composure.

He nodded once, closed the door, then sat squarely in front of Danny. Peter stared hard into his green eyes.

"Danny, I don't know what exactly I believe. But I do know that I want to help you. But you can't lie to me, okay?"

There was a hesitation.

"Okay," Danny said finally. Peter took a deep breath. He played with his hands while he thought of his first question. His eyes settled on the word above Danny's head. It was still there, mocking him.

Peter hated it. And he realized there was one way to test out Danny's trust.

"Alright then. Have you ever killed anyone before?"

Danny blinked, surprised. But Peter didn't waver.

"No. I haven't."

The answer was completely steadfast. Convincing. Danny's face gave away nothing. And Peter would have believed him on the spot if the evidence wasn't literally floating above him.

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Yes Danny. Yes you are. I know you are beca..." Peter trailed off. No. He couldn't reveal his new gift. Not yet anyway.

"Because what?"

"Because you're my friend, and I know you."

"I see. Does that mean that you know I'd kill someone? Or you know when I'm lying?" Danny asked. There was steel in his voice, but he didn't move.

Peter froze for a second. This wasn't going as well as it had when he rehearsed in his head. Especially because Danny wasn't cooperating at all.

His mind raced. His carefully prepared questions seemed to all slip away from him, and he knew he looked foolish.

 _It's fine. Just avoid his question, and ask something else. Something simple. Just do it now._

"What was that kid talking about? What does Devil King mean?"

"You're not very good at this Spiderman."

"Just please answer me."

Danny's eyes hardened. He shifted in his chair, then looked down at his hands.

"It is the title of a murderer that is in the city right now."

* * *

Danny watched Peter's eyes widen. He was obviously interested. Good. Danny fidgeted some more, trying to sell his act.

He needed to be convincing for his plan to work. Because if it did, it'd hopefully buy him enough time to find Kito and Arai.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"An old enemy of mine is in New York. He has been trying to frame me in Kun'Lun for quite a while, but always fails. Now he's trying to do it here."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because he had several accomplices this time. They were members of some kind of organization, and they had been following me and everyone I am close to."

Danny thought fast. Obviously Peter knew that he'd killed before, though Danny had no idea how he could possibly know such a thing. So he needed to include that into the story.

But carefully. Believably.

"Then...why are you talking now?" Peter asked, narrowing his eyes as if he already knew what Danny was going to say.

"Because I got _rid_ of them. They killed the little girl as we were fighting. I didn't have my communicator or my phone at the time," Danny bowed his head, feigning sorrow. He clenched his hands together. Acting.

A valuable skill.

And he could tell that Peter was enthralled. Now it was time for the finishing touch.

"I am sorry for my actions, but there was no alternative. My enemy is still alive, though I've weakened him enough that I can stop him."

"No," Peter interjected as Danny knew he would. "No more killing. There is always an alternative Danny. Tell us who he is and SHIELD will deal with it!"

Danny waited for a few seconds. Then nodded slowly. He almost smiled as he spoke, but contained it just in time.

"His name is Kito Rinji. And he is the Devil King."

* * *

 **Oooh, sneaky. Okay so we reached the point where you've met basically all the major characters that will be in this story. Let's review, shall we?**

 **Danny/Drakov: Same person. Drakov is an alias he used in the Order.**

 **Ada/Shui: Same person. Shui is her alias for the Order. Also, she's dead.**

 **Arai: Creepy weirdo from the Order, and the 'alpha' ninja that attacked Danny.**

 **Kito: The smaller, more pathetic creepy weirdo from the Order. The smaller ninja.**

 **Kaleb: You can literally forget Kaleb since his role is basically over for the most part.**

 **Okay great, so now that we're all caught up, I'll see you all next week-ish. Also, I've been working on a few Halloween themed stories and I'm pretty disappointed that I haven't seen any yet on the site. Seriously where is your spirit?**

 **I better not be the only one making a Halloween story! You hear me?! Lol, anyway,**

 **Wolf Out...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey hey! Funny story, I just went and visited NYC for the first time. And up until then, I had been convinced that Midtown was just a made-up setting for the spiderman universe. Turns out it's a real place! Yeah I know...I'm an absolute idiot.**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheRandGirl: Ha, well he may not be in Hollywood but he will be on Netflix! All of your questions will be answered soon! And I can't guarantee how many relationships will still be intact after this story! Sorry this chapter took so long, but I _was_ in NY so maybe I can say I was just doing research? ;)**

 **TheImmortalWeapon: *Squeals* You are getting very close! Your points are quite interesting (and more organized than most of my schoolwork lol), I'm surprised you still remember the elixir since I haven't revisited it in a while. There is a history between Danny and Arai, but not the way you said. That may actually be touched on a bit later in the story. Also I love long theory reviews so it's totally fine. Enjoy!**

 **Masked Revenge: Yay that makes me so happy! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _"How's your punishment going Shui?"_

 _"Actually it's much better than going on your stupid missions."_

 _"I can't imagine that it's any fun taking care of the children."_

 _"These children treat me better than you have so, things are going well."_

 _"Just remember that while you're down here, you're the teacher. Which means you're the one who'll teach them how to behave. How to conform. And how to kill."_

* * *

"His name is Kito Rinji. And he is the Devil King."

Peter widened his eyes. He hadn't expected any sort of confession really...not like this. And now he was completely unprepared. He spent a hazy few more minutes pressing Danny about this new suspect.

But Danny seemed to have already reached his helpfulness quota for the day. And so by the time Peter left the interrogation room, he had only a name, a motive, and a vague description.

But it was enough. It would have to be.

He webbed himself through the halls, swinging past several operatives and workers. He clutched his notes tightly. A crazed smile lit his face. Progress!

Until finally he'd dropped down and was bouncing up to Nick Fury's office. He placed a hand on the doorknob, then stopped. Voices.

"We've been keeping him out of police affairs for too long now Director."

"Invalid Captain. Iron Fist is part of my team and therefore my responsibility."

"Okay, but _Daniel Rand_ is a civilian. No, worse, he's the head of a billion-dollar company."

Peter held his breath. Silence.

"I trust you are still keeping his identity under wrap?"

"Only the officers who were at the crime scene know about it. And I've sworn them to secrecy."

"Good. And the public?"

"All the witnesses we questioned either didn't recognize him, or were also sworn."

"Perfect. Then I guess I don't need to remind you that I run an organization of spies. And that if you let out word of this, _or_ pressure me about this case, you may not see your family for a very long time."

"Are you threatening an officer of the law Director?"

"No. I'm threatening you. Now get out of my office."

 _Spidey sense!_ Peter panicked as the door started to open, and leaped up onto the ceiling. A pinch-faced cop stalked out of the office, hands balled angrily.

A second later, Fury appeared at the door, watching him go with a steady glare. Finally, the cop was out of sight, and Fury sighed heavily.

"You'd better have some good news for me Parker," He snarled, and Peter yelped, loosing his balance and landing on his stomach. He groaned.

"No way, how'd you know I was up there? You don't even have depth perception!" Peter mumbled as he stood up.

"You're wearing a bright red suit Spiderman. Don't flatter yourself," Fury deadpanned. Then he led Peter into his office and sat down at his desk. Peter lifted up his mask.

"We have a new suspect!" He blurted, sliding his papers over the desk. Fury looked over at them, unimpressed. Peter went on.

"Danny said his name is Kito and they're enemies from Kun'lun!"

Still no response.

"Ugh, come on! Am I the only one excited about this?" Peter whined, dropping down onto the swivel chair. Fury scowled, slamming a hand onto the table.

"Yes Parker. You are the only one who's _excited_. Because this isn't a game of Clue. It's murder. Real murder. And while you were playing twenty questions, our agents just found two more bodies."

All the life seemed to eek out of Peter in the form of a harsh squeak. He felt like he'd been cheated. This was supposed to be his moment as a real detective.

But was it all really worthless?

"W-what..." Peter rasped.

Fury handed him two pictures, both of girls.

"They found their bodies washed up on the Hudson. They were estimated to have been killed a few months ago, and we've already put them through testing. Danny's fingerprints are all over them."

Peter felt sick. His hands locked on the photos. He was suddenly very grateful that he was sitting down.

"Fur-fury?" He said, "These girls look just like the other one..."

"Blond hair. Green eyes. Caucasian," Fury listed, nodding. "I noticed it too, so I've been looking into it myself. And I think I've found the connection."

"What is it?"

Fury sighed, clasping his hands together.

"Has Danny ever mentioned an Ada Rand?"

* * *

Danny sat, more nervous than he'd ever been. His plan was risky, but he'd already laid the groundwork. He just hoped Peter had believed him.

He needed Peter to believe him!

He sighed, closing his eyes. His hands laced together and he tried to clear his head. Time slowed down around him. Breathing became a little easier.

In...Out...In...Out...

Darkness. Peace. Danny relaxed, until he couldn't even feel the cuffs biting into his wrists.

In...Out...In...Out...

He floated in warm bliss. And the quiet was so thick, heavy almost. But it weighed down on him pleasurably. Because everything was gone. Melted away.

Nothing could exist here, not in the sanctuary that was his own mind.

Only...if that was true, then why was there a light? Danny's heart stirred. There. There was a pinprick of red light, getting larger and larger.

It hurtled at him like a bullet. He felt himself getting agitated just watching it. He bit his lip, scrunching his eyes tightly. It kept coming. What was it? What was it?

Familiar, yet foreboding. Cold fear penetrated his sanctuary. The light drew closer. Danny's pulse raced faster.

WHAT WAS IT!?

He clenched his hands together.

 _Calm down! Clear your mind! It's nothing!_

No. No it wasn't.

SHHHLLLLIIIICCK! Danny gasped. He jerked forward and his eyes flew open. He knew that sound as well as he knew the sensation that accompanied it.

Tearing flesh. And horrible, unbelievable pain.

He looked down at his arm, where an invisible knife seemed to be cutting messy lines into his skin. Blood bubbled up at the surface, dripping onto his clothes again.

He slammed his jaw shut to keep from screaming and felt his teeth stab into his tongue. He grunted, writhing in his seat.

 _Remember the chanting! What were the words to stop the pain?_

He couldn't remember, and Dr. Strange wasn't here to help. So he sat there, counting each agonizing second, until the message was complete.

Danny shook off as much blood as he could, and craned his neck to read it. His heart skipped a beat.

 **Brace yourself. We are coming.**

* * *

 **And there it is! To clear things up a bit, in the Order, to send a message you have to do what Danny did back in...um...was it chapter 3? 4? Do what he did at Strange's house! And to receive a message, it will be cut into your body. Yeah. You can imagine how useful that is in hostage situations.**

 **Also, (cheeky plug) if you like 21 pilots and specifically their song Car Radio, then go check out the animation I did for it on my yt channel, which is on my profile.**

 **Wolf Out...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Three things: Number 1) hello sorry I'm late. Number 2) Happy almost-holidays. Number 3) You can't even be mad that I'm late because this chapter is twice as long as all the other ones so haha.**

 **Right then, let's get on with this!**

 **Reviews:**

 **TheRandGirl: Glad you liked it, this chapter is even more intense. Thanks fore reviewing!**

 **TabbyCat: Thanks! Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

* * *

 _"One day you will look back on this year. You'll hate yourself, you know. You'll absolutely hate yourself."_

 _"That's a risk I am more than willing to take."_

 _"Ok. Fine. What about me though? What if I hate you? Or our friends? What if Kito hates you? Or do you not remember your best friend?"_

 _"He can't hate me because he won't know. No one knows of our mission except the monks. And we aren't going to tell anyone, either."_

 _"Well that's the funny thing about truth huh? It never stays buried forever."_

* * *

"So, how's the investigation going?" Ava asked Peter as he walked into the lounge.

"Not great. Fury just found even more evidence against Danny."

The feline-themed heroine looked up. Peter noticed the bags under her eyes. She was worried, like the others. He sighed as he sat down next to her.

"I don't know what to do anymore," He said.

"Well I do. We're going to prove that Danny is innocent," Ava growled. Peter looked at her in surprise.

"I thought you were suspicious of him. Isn't Sam too?"

"We were. But, we can't believe that Danny would ever do something like...like _murder_."

Peter gave her a wry smile.

"How can you be so sure though...I mean, he does like his secrets."

He hadn't meant to sound so cold. He had meant to just make conversation. But Ava stood up with wet eyes and balled her fists as if he had slapped her.

"Don't say that."

"No Ava I wasn't-"

"Peter I swear don't ever say that. Don't. Danny is part of our family. He isn't a killer."

They stared at each other. Peter's lips quivered. He wondered for a second if he could tell her. If he _should_ tell her.

 _He is a killer. His title told me so. He is._

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again there was white text over Ava's head.

 _Fighter._

He shook his head and the word dissipated. Ava was a fighter. She would defend her family and her opinion. Why would it matter if he told her Danny's title? She would never believe him anyway.

Peter stood up and straightened his shoulders. He stepped closer to her and smiled.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Danny is innocent and we're going to prove it. Together."

She grinned. Nodded.

"Um, excuse me...I don't want to interrupt anything but..."

Peter turned around to see a scrawny guy with dirty-looking black hair.

"Oh uh hi. Can we help you with something?" Peter asked. The guy walked towards them with an awkward smile.

"Yeah I was wondering if you could help me find Danny's interrogation room? I was there earlier but I can't seem to remember how to get back there."

Peter blinked. The guy was wearing rags, and his hands were shaking like mad. He definitely didn't look anywhere near authorized to be on this ship. Peter was about to speak when Ava beat him to it.

"Sorry but who are you?" She asked, venom in her tone.

"Me? I'm not sure. Sometimes it slips my mind," The guy laughed emptily. His hands shook harder and Peter grabbed onto Ava's arm.

"Spidey sense says this guy is bad news," He muttered. Ava nodded and bit her lip.

"What do we do?"

"Hey I'm sorry, am I scaring you? I'll go ask someone else for directions if you want me to..." The guy said. And yet, he stumbled closer.

"Whoa, not so close kid. I'm a superhero you know," Peter tried to joke. But he was getting some seriously bad vibes. The guy's hand slipped behind his back and he drew out a long blade.

Peter's eyes widened. He had on his mask. He could fight. But Ava was in her civvies, and that meant she needed to protect her identity.

"Ava get behind me," Peter snarled.

"Oh hey guess what! I just remembered my name!" The mystery guy lurched forward, swinging the blade. Peter moved to stop him but he dodged just in time. Peter tumbled, turned.

Too late.

 _SLASH!_

The blade was plunged deeply into Ava's midsection.

"NOOOOOOO!" Peter screeched. Blood splattered onto his face.

"I'm Kito. Danny's bestest friend in the whole wide world!" The guy, or Kito apparently, grinned. He unsheathed his knife and Ava fell to her knees. More blood dripped from her lips.

"YOU!" Peter screamed. He slammed into Kito like a truck, knocking him to the floor.

"You're the one who's been giving us all hell!" Peter hissed through sobs.

Kito only laughed, harder and harder until he was wheezing.

"I'm flattered, really, but I'm not your biggest problem right now," his face suddenly changed to sullen. Peter hesitated, shocked by the change. Kito continued in a crushed tone. "Your friend is slowly dying over there. I think you should help her. I'm still pretty new to this and the sight of all that blood is making me sick."

"You son of a-" Peter shouted. But before he could finish, the lights turned red and the entire chamber rocked to the side as an explosion sounded throughout.

Kito wriggled out from under him.

"That would be Arai! I gotta go now!" He retrieved his knife and took off. Peter moved to chase him. But then he turned to Ava, who's eyes were falling shut. He stopped, turned on him communicator.

"THIS IS SPIDERMAN! I NEED ALL MEDICAL STAFF HERE RIGHT NOW!"

* * *

BOOM! The door to Danny's room burst in, flying to the opposite wall. Smoke billowed inside. It was so thick that Danny didn't see the blade that sliced through his hand cuffs.

But as soon as his hands were freed he launched to his feet and grabbed the shadow behind him.

"Arai?" Danny hissed, pushing the figure in question to the wall.

"Time to go Drakov."

"I'm not leaving my friends."

Arai laughed, "What friends?"

Danny tried to retort. But nothing came out. His grip loosened for a split second and Arai grabbed onto his arm. He ran, dragging Danny with him in a hold that was just as strong as Danny remembered.

They rounded a corner and were met by a dozen SHIELD officers.

"YOU! Let him go!" One shouted. Arai tensed, still holding onto his prize. Danny squirmed, but finally also lowered into his fighting stance. As much as he hated what was happening, he wasn't super keen to go back to that cell either.

"Raise your hands, both of you. We will shoot if you cause any trouble," The same officer yelled.

"Well, I guess we're caught then," Arai sneered. Danny whipped his head around.

"What are you planning?" He whispered.

Arai only shook his head. His mask covered his face, yet Danny knew he was grinning.

"What're they doing?" A young officer mumbled to his commander. "HEY! Didn't you hear us? Put your hands up!"

Arai and Danny stood still. Danny was breathing hard. Anticipation swirled through his system. His hands ached.

"That's it no more mind games!" The young man screamed. He leveled his gun at Arai's head. His finger moved to the trigger.

A knife sliced through his elbow. The officer's eyes widened as the bottom half of his arm fell to the floor, spurting blood.

A flash of black hair and crazed eyes. Then screaming.

"Now," Arai hissed as guns began to fire wildly. He and Danny pushed through the crowd as the melodic sound of a knife whistling through the air rang out.

They made it out the other side, and were joined by Kito a second later.

"Hey guys! Glad I found you! I thought you were going to leave without me for a second there," He smiled.

"We're on a mission subordinate. No speaking!" Arai barked. Danny shut his eyes, clenching his jaw tightly.

 _This isn't happening. This isn't happening._

And yet what choice did he have? He turned to glare at Kito and almost tripped over his own feet.

The smaller boy was covered in oozing wounds. He flashed Danny a smile, then his eyes turned yellow. Black plates began to slide over his skin like armor, and he grew disproportionately outward.

"What's happening to him!?" Danny hissed. Arai didn't look back.

"He's our way out. Keep running!"

Kito was now too heavy to walk. Ebony wings sprouted from his back, one of them knocking Danny against the wall. Through emerging fangs he whispered:

"I told you, Arai would only let me join if he got to test things on me. Isn't that cool?"

Danny had no words. So he just ran faster. More agents came to block their path, but Kito knocked them out of the way easily. They rounded the corner and made it to one of the emergency exits. Arai ripped it open.

Then he grabbed hold of Kito's protruding tail and proceeded to shove him half-way out of the craft.

"Get on," Arai ordered. Danny hesitated.

 _I can stop them. Or push them out. I could do something. That would probably elevate my status here, saving SHIELD from intruders. But that won't solve my own problem._

Danny narrowed his eyes. He would go along with them. He would follow them as long as he had to until he could make his move. And then he'd make sure that they never came back, regardless of the consequences.

He nodded and jumped onto Kito's back, clutching onto Arai's uniform. Kito took a wobbly step and was immediately sucked out into the wind. Danny's heart dropped into his stomach and his eyes widened.

Air rushed past them as they spiraled down wildly. Kito's wings folded and popped, but they were still falling.

"Arai this isn't working!" Danny grunted, knuckles white.

Arai responded by kicking at Kito's sides.

"Fly idiot! Before you kill us all!"

"It's harder with two people!" Kito complained. His wings spread out suddenly, catching the wind and turning their free fall into a rough glide.

Kito panted, and his face began to lose its scales.

"Um, hey besties?" He mumbled.

"What?" Arai screamed.

"I think its wearing off again," He said.

Danny froze. What did that mean?! He peeked over the side and felt a mixture of panic and anger. They were several hundred feet over the ground still, and Kito was beginning to shrink.

He wondered silently what his chances of survival were. Arai turned around to grab his shoulder.

"Drakov! You need to give us power or we will perish."

Danny blinked.

"I don't und-"

"The red Chi. If we use both of ours together it should be enough to prolong the transformation. Do it now!"

Now Danny understood. He looked down at his hands and twisted them into fists. He was already starting to regret his choice to escape.

 _I could make it painful for him, if I wanted. I could make it burn..._

Danny gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He focused on the dull ache that had been growing throughout this whole thing. He drew it out, and amplified it. He could feel the fire explode from his hands. It was getting easier, he realized.

Every time it got easier and...more satisfying?

His eyes snapped open and he heard Kito screaming.

 _He deserves it. He deserves it for everything he did. Everything he's done. This is good. Make it worse._

NO! Danny shook his head and his Chi gave out. Kito stopped screaming. They stopped flying.

CRASH!

Kito quickly reverted back to human and they all fell the remaining ten feet to the ground. Danny hissed through the pain in his back and sides. For a few minutes, they all lay there.

Then Arai stood up and took off his mask. He smiled, a dark glint in his eyes.

"Welcome back Devil King."

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! So many questions! Will Danny do something? Will Tiger live? Will anything happy ever happen? Find out next time!**

 **ALSO! Would you like to see what Kito looks like? Because I drew him in his costume and in his regular clothes over here:**

 **wolfziedraws. tumblr. com**

 **But anyway, see you all later. Please review!**

 **Wolf Out...**


End file.
